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SELECTION OF OUR REFERENCE PROJECTS
POLARIXPARTNER has had many interesting cases in recent years. Here are some of the most exciting cases, which reflect the full range of industries we support.
Value & cost management
PROJECT
Implementation of effective value and cost management for a new bus generation.
THE CHALLENGE
The goal of the project was to achieve cost savings of 20%, whereby the functionality should be increased (comfort, driving assistance, weight reduction, engine power, lighting). The total cost of ownership (TCO) should be improved by longer maintenance intervals, lower fuel consumption etc., always in compliance with public standards (for example, EURO 6).
POLARIXPARTNER executed the project over a period of three years, working hand in hand with more than 150 employees from the areas of R & D, Purchasing, CE, Controlling and Production.
SOLUTION
OUR APPROACH
- Implementation of cross-functional project team organization, effective processes and assessment methods
- Distribution of the vehicle in development packages, target costing derivation at module level
- Conjoint analysis of market requirements
- Monitoring and evaluation of the development concept, analysis of alternative concepts in the SE project
- Setup of cost analysis and training cost analysis, supplier negotiation and nomination, value and cost responsibility in the process
OUR RESULTS
- SE team culture, detailed evaluation & cost transparency
- Cost savings of > 20% with additional functionalities
Benchmarking & Life Cycle Costing
PROJECT
Benchmarking & Life Cycle Costing for a new smart metering generation of a major German energy supplier.
THE CHALLENGE
The main questions were: What is the cost structure of the devices? What is the profit margin and how much room is there for negotiation? Product cost solutions from various competitors were evaluated and a best-of-best solution was sought.
Under SCM and technical matters, POLARIXPARTNER worked out the best-of-best solution: functional costs, lifetime and MFTB, life-cycle costing, rollout and installation strategy for private households, as well as insourcing or outsourcing aspects.
SOLUTION
OUR APPROACH
- Reverse engineering
- Teardown analysis of three different devices
- Cost comparison at functional level
- Potential Breakdown in Commercial, Technical and Process / SCM (Supply Chain Management)
- Modularization and standardization
- Cost trends (volume, chip integration)
OUR RESULTS
- Reduction of error costs
- Best-of-best solution
- Optimized total cost of ownership for system costs & rollout
- Technology Roadmap
Establishment and development of value and cost management
PROJECT
Establishment and development of value and cost management at a German premium OEM.
THE CHALLENGE
The customer focused primarily on innovation and a model offensive. Cost management was only triggered by purchasing, and it was focused on supplier competition. Management identified the need for cost reduction in all phases of product development.
POLARIXPARTNER had the task of creating value and cost management within a year. The project team comprised about 40 people - five to eight experts were involved.
SOLUTION
OUR RESULTS
- Development of a target vision for future cost management that covers internal / external interfaces, organization, processes, tools & systems, and knowledge management
- Setup & improvement of standards & processes for the realization of the target vision
- 25 pilot projects for concept testing with customers
- Active coaching of customers’ employees as part of the pilot projects & adapted training sessions to improve cost-management basics, technical knowledge and implementation skills
Product Optimization of Tesla Model X
PROJECT
OUR CHALLENGE
Tesla is the world leader in premium e-vehicles with Model S and X. In Model X, Tesla has sustainably improved the drive unit compared to the Model S in terms of series production suitability. With partially new and unconventional approaches, Tesla sets new standards in the automotive industry and is seen as the benchmark for premium e-vehicles.
POLARIXPARTNER disassembled, documented and evaluated the Tesla Model X with regard to the electric engine, transmission and power electronics.
SOLUTION
OUR RESULT
- Disassembly and documentation of the electric engine, transmission and power electronics modules
- Derivation of performance features and functional principles
- Detailed bottom-up cost evaluation of the analysis scopes
- Comparison of the Tesla solution with the current concept of the German premium OEM
- Presentation of technical and functional optimization ideas
Benchmark of Tesla Model S' operating concept
PROJECT
Benchmark of the operating concept of the Tesla Model S for a German premium OEM.
THE CHALLENGE
The main questions were: How competitive is the design from a technical point of view? Can I keep up with the premium OEMs when it comes to costs? What is the cost of a specific product feature?
The benchmark was to determine: how can added value be created compared to the existing solution? Which design can both save costs and increase performance in the future?
SOLUTION
OUR APPROACH
- Teardown analysis
- Economic and technical assessment of the system
- Creation of an electronic and mechanical parts list
- Analysis and documentation of system functionality focusing on software
- Determination of system price by bottom-up calculation
- Bottom-up calculation of product costs with POLARIXCOSTING
OUR RESULTS
- Hardware will be replaced by software
Cost analysis of a slat transmission for a passenger aircraft
PROJECT
Cost analysis and implementation of cost savings of a slat transmission for a passenger aircraft of a Tier 1 aviation supplier.
THE CHALLENGE
The supplier had a strong production increase. However, some manufacturing steps are not compatible with mass production. The actual costs are higher than the target sales price. In addition, the customer increased the pressure to reduce costs because of the increase in the purchase quantity.
POLARIXPARTNER was commissioned with a 3-month analysis of the current situation. After 15 months, cost savings should be implemented. More than 50 employees from cross-functional teams including development, purchasing, cost engineering, controlling and production were involved.
SOLUTION
OUR APPROACH
- Cost analysis of all parts and assembly
- Workshops to identify cost saving oportunities (internally and with suppliers)
- Evaluation of ideas in the team
- Manufacturing analysis for in-house and supplier production in order to identify further potential
- Production tests with new tools and processes to save on manufacturing costs
- Negotiations with suppliers in order to unleash potential
OUR RESULTS
- 50 % Cost saving potential
- 30 % of the potential already implemented after 6 months
- Further measures to exploit the full potential over 9 months
Plant network optimization
PROJECT
LEAN project of a generic API manufacturer at about three different production sites of an international pharmaceutical company.
THE CHALLENGE
Competitors from China and India can offer 20-30% below their own price level in the market, which led to a decline in sales of 30%. The most important customer with the highest-margin product was about to change. Overall, there wasn’t an integrated operations management across the three production plants. Factory managers acted only locally.
SOLUTION
OUR APPROACH
- Harmonization of targets across all levels of governance and alignment of targets for all production sites
- Implementation of holistic planning and detailed planning systems in all production sites
- Identification and implementation of existing efficiency enhancement potential in all key products
- Redefinition of the operational organization including the design of new job descriptions plus role and responsibility profiles
- Identification of additional savings potential in the procurement area
OUR RESULTS
- Realized savings of 12% of the total cost base
Manufacturing Benchmark for generator shafts
PROJECT
Benchmarking for the manufacturing and assembly of generator shafts.
THE CHALLENGE
POLARIXPARTNER defined best practices in rotor production and assembly. A cost plan was developed to determine transfer prices within the manufacturer’s network. Diverse design solutions were evaluated as part of the cost plan. The duration of the projects was six months.
SOLUTION
OUR APPROACH
- Benchmarking for three plants of the current manufacturing process.
- Best Practices in calculation of the assembly and production of a generator shaft.
- Development of a cost plan to determine the plant's transfer prices.
OUR RESULTS
- Best Practices in production concept of the machining and assembly of a rotor shaft.
- Presentation of a 25-30% savings potential in non-productive time during the cutting process.
- Transparent cost plans for specific manufacturing processes in all three plants.
Target costing and implementation of air-cycle air conditioning technology
PROJECT
Target costing determination and target costing implementation of the new air-cycle air conditioning technology in high-speed trains for a European system supplier.
THE CHALLENGE
The main question was: What is the technical and commercial optimum cost of the new Air-Cycle Air Conditioning system? How can this optimum cost be determined and sustainably implemented?
POLARIXPARTNER determined and implemented target costs considering railway-specific safety standards. The project was divided into two stages: two months for the determination of potential and three months for the implementation.
SOLUTION
OUR APPROACH
- Questioning and analysis of the existing system solution
- Conduction of DtC workshops to determine alternative design and functional concepts
- Calculation of potential cost reduction for the series and determination of target costs
- Implementation and confirmation of cost objectives
- Global RFQs with > 3 offers / purchase volume
- Definition and implementation of commercial cost objectives
OUR RESULTS
- Implementation of a modular system for the new ICE 3 Generation
- Cost savings of the overall system > 18%
Engine benchmark of five truck diesel engines
PROJECT
Execution of an engine benchmark of five truck diesel engines to derive cost potential for a premium OEM.
OUR CHALLENGES
The customer is developing a new diesel engine to fulfill future emission requirements and reduce fuel consumption. The competition has launched a new generation of engines into the market, which have advantages in terms of costs, fuel consumption and emissions. The engine works as a platform engine and it should be built worldwide. Due to massive increases in unit numbers, significant cost savings are required to achieve the business plan values despite the increase in functions.
POLARIXPARTNER was commissioned with an engine benchmark.
SOLUTION
OUR APPROACH
- Complete dismantling and documentation (pictures, weight, technology) of five truck engines
- Creation of parts lists and cost assessment of all five engines
- Comparison of different concepts
- Identification of technical, commercial, process and supply chain potentials for the current customer engine
- Execution of design-to-cost workshops with the customer team to further identify and verify cost potential
OUR RESULTS
- Complete benchmark documentation of engines
- Evaluated measures for cost optimization of the existing engine concept
POLARIXPARTNER Insights
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